Global Influence
London strategic-communications and influence firm spun out of Verbalisation in 2016; focused on government, defence, counter-terrorism and counter-extremism campaigns; employed Alicia Kearns as client services director
| Global Influence
| |
|---|---|
| Type | Private company / strategic communications consultancy |
| Founded | 29 April 2016 (incorporation); launched July 2016 |
| Status | Accounts filed as dormant; first Gazette notice for compulsory strike-off March 2020 |
| Headquarters | 9 Whitehall, London SW1A 2DD |
| Services | Target-audience analysis (RAID), strategy, cross-platform activation and effects-based measurement for governments, militaries, NGOs and charities |
| Key people | Sven Hughes (founder / CEO); Michael Raimes Jones (director); Alicia Kearns (client services director, 2016–2017) |
| Website | globalinfluence.com (archived) |
| Remarks | Sister company of Verbalisation; information-operations firm applying PSYOPS-derived methods (RAID) to commercial and governmental clients |
Global Influence (Influenceglobal Ltd, company number 10155532) is a London strategic-communications and influence firm launched in July 2016 as a sister company of Verbalisation. It was formed to meet demand for counter-violent extremism (CVE), political-campaign and government/defence influence work, applying methods developed at Verbalisation (including the RAID – Rapid Audience Insights Diagnostics – audience-profiling tool). Founder Sven Hughes, a former advertising copywriter and British Army PSYOPS reservist, described it as an “information operations company” providing “cutting-edge influence solutions for challenging, complex and high stakes environments.” Clients disclosed on its website included the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, US State Department, Global Coalition, NATO and the European Parliament. The company filed dormant accounts and received a first Gazette notice for compulsory strike-off in March 2020.[1][2]
Origins and method
Verbalisation (founded by Hughes) specialised in language-based behaviour change and had already worked for the Quilliam Foundation and Families Against Terrorism and Extremism (FATE). The launch announcement cited that CVE work as the spur for the new sister company. Global Influence retained the same core approach: RAID diagnostics drawn from marketing, military, conflict and political contexts, followed by strategy, creative execution and measurement. Hughes has described the model as an application of PSYOPS techniques (“the application of non-kinetic activity to effect behaviour change”) refined over a decade and previously used on commercial accounts including The Times, Financial Times and News UK. Staff included former military personnel and political campaigners.[1][3][4]
Alicia Kearns and personnel
In August 2016 Global Influence appointed Alicia Kearns as client services director. Kearns joined after two years at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, where she led the UK Government’s communications campaigns on Syria and Iraq (including work linked to the Counter-Daesh Coalition Communications Cell) and advised more than 70 international governments on counter-terrorism. Before the FCO she had held communications roles at the Ministry of Defence (including the department’s contribution to the 2014 Scottish independence referendum campaign) and the Ministry of Justice. Hughes stated that her “track record and reputation are exceptional.” Kearns left in October 2017. Other named personnel included:
- Sven Hughes – founder and CEO
- Michael Raimes Jones – director
- Captain (rtd.) James Monckton – Director of Operations
- Anthony Earley – board director
- Drew Charsley – Creative Director, Global Coalition account
- Oscar Saunders – Art Director, Global Coalition account
- Oliver Meech – Copywriter, Global Coalition account
- Marc da Motta – Copywriter, Global Coalition account[3][5]
Clients and activity
Disclosed clients included the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, US State Department, Global Coalition against Daesh, NATO and the European Parliament. Specific projects included a global musical initiative for Families Against Terrorism and Extremism (a Quilliam Foundation project funded in part by the US State Department). The campaign, built on a six-week RAID analysis, united families, survivors and roughly 40 charities (including Sons & Daughters of the World, S.A.V.E. Belgium, Extreme Dialogue and Women without Borders) to challenge extremist narratives. Verbalisation/Global Influence had earlier produced the Quilliam Foundation’s “#NotAnotherBrother” film, which used PSYOPS-derived methods and was described as one of the most-viewed counter-extremism campaigns of its period.[1][6][7]
Financial history
Incorporated 29 April 2016. Filed dormant accounts made up to 30 April 2017 (filed 23 January 2018) and again to 30 April 2018. First Gazette notice for compulsory strike-off dated 31 March 2020. Registered office 9 Whitehall, London SW1A 2DD.[2]
See also
- Verbalisation
- Sven Hughes
- Alicia Kearns
- Quilliam Foundation
- Families Against Terrorism and Extremism
- Counter-Daesh Coalition Communications Cell
- Torchlight Group
External links
- PR Newswire launch, July 2016
- Gorkana on Kearns appointment, August 2016
- Companies House – Influenceglobal Ltd (10155532)
- Global Influence website (archived, globalinfluence.com)
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 PR Newswire, Verbalisation Expands With Launch of Global Defence and Political Firm, 14 July 2016.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Companies House, INFLUENCEGLOBAL LTD (10155532), filing history (Internet Archive, March 2020).
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Gorkana, FCO’s Alicia Kearns joins Global Influence, 24 August 2016.
- ↑ Defence Contracts International, “Winning war with words,” February 2017.
- ↑ Alicia Kearns page, Affiliations.
- ↑ Creative Pool, “Global Influence launch musical initiative for Families Against Terrorism and Extremism.”
- ↑ Religion News Service, “In Britain, a glut of anti-terrorism campaigns draws fans, detractors,” 14 August 2015.